By Cheryl Tan

A bump in sales on Black Friday, the traditional kickoff to the holiday shopping season, wasn’t enough to prevent November sales of apparel, luxury goods and electronics from plunging below year-ago levels, according to new data from MasterCard SpendingPulse. The data suggest that when retailers report their November sales Thursday, some chains could post double-digit drops for the four weeks ended Saturday. Sales fell 20% from year-ago levels at apparel and department stores combined, 24% at luxury stores and 25% at electronics stores, according to the MasterCard Inc. unit. WSJ

Tiffany & Co. has offered “voluntary retirement incentives” to about 800 U.S. employees. The number represents about 9.1% of Tiffany’s global workforce of 8,800 and 13.3% of the 6,000 it employs in the U.S. WWD

Specialty retailer Bebe Stores Inc. is launching a new lingerie line with the musical group Pussycat Dolls, known for their skimpy costumes and sexy moves. The first collection from the line ‘Pussycat Dolls Shhh…by Robin Antin’ will debut in some stores this week and on the company’s Web site, Bebe.com. The line was designed by Robin Antin, who developed the Pussycat Dolls from a nightclub burlesque troupe into a pop group with its own reality TV show. Porfolio

Swiss authorities are investigating the Geneva-based Association of Manufacturers and Suppliers of the Cosmetic and Perfumery Industry (ASCOPA) for possible price fixing. Members of the association include Chanel Geneve SA, L’Oreal Produits de Luxe Suisse SA , Parfum Christian Dior AG and Coty Inc. Reuters

At malls across the country, shoppers are being besieged by a determined crop of salespeople: young Israelis who man mobile carts and have a no-holds-barred selling style. Amid the grimmest holiday season in years, these workers are approaching passing mall shoppers or calling out from their stations, pitching body lotions, irons, toys and knickknacks. They demonstrate their wares by flying remote-control helicopters, steaming shirts and applying makeup. Instead of charging American-style fixed prices, they harness the culture of the bazaar and often quote numbers based on what they think a customer will be willing to pay. WSJ

For many, Islamic fashion might seem synonymous with strait-laced garments that leave everything to the imagination, but some Asian designers are trying to equip modern Muslim women with a wardrobe that obeys both sartorial trends and spiritual dictates. This fusion of creativity and conservatism is showcased in the Islamic Fashion Festival, which is in its sixth year and runs through Thursday in a Kuala Lumpur hotel. Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates take turns hosting the event. AP